Marie's Choice
by Tiniwiel
Summary: Marie has a choice between three men: Bobby, John, and Logan. However it is the reader who gets to choose for her! Set one week after the events of X3 and ignores the implications of Magneto and his chess set. Major spoilers for all three films.
1. The beginning of the end

Notes: Hello all! I have returned with a new fan fic. This is actually my first X-Men fic, and I am very excited about it. I based the idea for this story off of these books I used to read as a child where you could pick how the story ended up. I think they were literally called "Choose Your Own Adventure!" books. In this fic, however, you don't really choose an adventure, you choose who Marie (Rogue) ends up with. You can put her with Bobby (Iceman), Logan (Wolverine), or John (Pyro). I am basing their characters completely from the movie versions, though I briefly thought of making one of her choices be Gambit from the comics.

Other boring notes, but important to the plot: When I write, I am usually very neurotic about where the characters are geographically and in terms of their lives. So, in this story the kids (Bobby, Marie, John) are 19-20ish. I'm basing this on the fact that in the first movie Marie is 17 (Storm say so when she's talking to the attendent at the train station), and I figure a few months pass between the first the second film, and maybe a year and a half to two years between the second and third. I figure the latter part because that not only is there a new president, but they also formed the board that Hank McCoy is a part of (I can't think of the name right now).

Alright, enough of me chatting. Read the story, pick your man, and let me know who you pick! If enough people pick one guy over the other two, I may just continue that storyline. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I'm making no money off of this. These characters belong to Marvel Comics, Twenieth Century Fox, and all the geniuses who make thse characters come to life.

* * *

Marie's Choice

"I know. This is what I wanted."

Those words seem to hang between them for a moment before Marie reached out with her bare hand and, for the first time since they met, she felt what it was like to hold Bobby's hand. It was exhilarating, and her breath quickened at the thought of what this meant, but then a snide voice whispered in her ear, reminding her of what she saw the night she left to take the Cure. The memory of Bobby smiling down at Kitty in his arms invaded her mind and she dropped his hand suddenly.

Bobby, confused by this abrupt movement, frowned not only at Rogue (Marie?) but also at the knock at the door. He didn't answer in the hope that whoever it was would assume he wasn't in the room and leave them alone. When silence followed the knock, he opened his mouth to ask the now sitting girl what was the matter when Kitty's voice filtered through the door. "Bobby, are you in there? Everybody's coming back, and Jubilee said she heard that Rogue was back too. I wanted to warn you. Are you in there?" Bobby grimaced at Kitty's choice of words, never taking his eyes off his girlfriend.

Warn? Why would Kitty say _that_? Marie glared up at the person she was almost ready to trust again and spoke in a strained voice. "Why would she need to warn you, Bobby?" Marie had always tried to be an understanding girlfriend, she knew how hard it was on them both that they couldn't touch, and naturally he would gravitate towards someone he could. But it didn't help her slipping confidence in him that Bobby looked guilty. "Well?" She demanded, crossing her arms across her chest.

Bobby sat down beside her on the bed, and Marie desperately wanted to scoot away, but do so and she would fall off the bed quite ungracefully, shattering the mask of calm she had so carefully placed. "You've got to realize what it was like for me, Rogue."

"Marie," she replied almost automatically. Bobby smiled a little, and reached for her hand again, but she clasped them together and he sighed, opening his mouth to speak but she beat him to it. "And don't tell me that I don't know what it was like not to be able to touch my boyfriend." Bobby just shook his head slowly, speaking before she could continue her rant, anger bubbling slowly inside him.

"You left without saying goodbye; I had to find out from someone else that you were gone! Once I realized where you went, I snuck out and caught a bus to the closest place giving out the Cure to look for you." He paused, as though he was preparing himself for something, and Marie unconsciously scratched at her am where the needle had pierced her skin.

"I saw John, and he's so different now, or maybe he was just always that way, but…he taunted me. I walked away and the next thing I know the place was in flames! I was so scared, I thought…" He stopped again, swallowing hard. "But I didn't see you there, they wouldn't let anyone else in and they said no one was hurt, so eventually I left." He turned to face Marie fully now, and she was shocked by the fear on his face. "When I got back, Peter told me about the fight that was going to happen, so we-Peter, Kitty and me-decided we had to help."

Marie huffed slightly at the mention of Kitty, not sure where all this typical girl jealousy was coming from, but Bobby only gave her a placating look and she looked down, embarrassed.

"Storm, Wolverine and Mr. McCoy couldn't fight all of those other mutants on their own, and we had to do something. We aren't kids anymore, and we weren't going to stay here and wait. And Marie…we…I…killed people. I fought and I killed…" His face had gone pale and he looked down at his hands as though he was seeing them for the first time. And in a way, he was. He didn't know what his powers could actually do. Fighting in the Danger Room was different, it was an illusion, they all knew it; despite the fact that behind the fear and adrenaline that pumped through them with each simulation, it felt real. But actually harming someone with his powers? It was a surreal feeling to know he could do that. He remembered the day John-Pyro-set his front yard on fire, wanting to stop him, but being afraid, so afraid. This time had that power, and he won. He looked over at Marie who was looking back with a mix of fear and sympathy, and if he told her that Pyro was now lying unconscious in the medical wing below, well, he honestly wasn't sure how she would react, so he kept that to himself.

For a moment Marie's anger left her, and in that moment she took one of Bobby's hands in hers and squeezed it reassuringly. She felt a twinge of guilt when he spoke of the battle she only knew took place through snippets of rumors she heard walking through the halls. She regretted her choice for that fleeting second when Bobby talked of fighting and wanting to help, but then she felt his hand in hers and that regret was gone. Kitty's warning returned to the forefront of her mind, and she repeated her question from before, except this time her voice was calm and unassuming.

"Why did Kitty "warn" you I was back, Bobby?" He looked away, glancing at the door, then stared Marie directly in the eye, an unreadable expression on his face.

"Before you left, Kitty let me talk to her…about us-"

"What? You talked about our relationship with _her_?"

"I needed someone's advice, and it was either her or Peter and I really wanted a female perspective," he cried, exasperated at her fluctuating emotions.

"Female or not, no one's really going to understand us because no one knows what it's like to fear simple gestures, to pull away when you want to kiss me because if I don't, you'll die!"

"Then why haven't we been able to have a conversation about this without you shutting me out? I'm one half of this couple, Marie; I need to know what's going on in your head!" They glared at each other a moment, both stubborn and unwilling to back down, hating the fact they have had this fight too many times before. After a few moments of heated silence, Bobby took a breath and continued. "When the professor died, Kitty needed a friend to cheer her up, and I guess the idea of being with someone I could touch has been on my mind lately," he said sheepishly, though the angry voice in his mind whispered something venomously about it only being that way because she brought up the subject every day. He ignored the voice and continued. "I have never cheated on you, Marie. Kitty just thinks that there is more between her and me and it doesn't help that she's scared of you."

Marie snorted. _I wonder why she thinks that. _They didn't know she saw them skating the night she left. She could see, even from her window, how they looked at one another, with the moonlight hitting them right, all they needed was a sweeping score and they'd have the perfect moment in a romantic film. Then, she remembered how Bobby reached over and held Kitty's bare hand at Xavier's funeral while his other still grasped hers.

"Marie, are you okay?" She looked up to see Bobby's clear blue eyes full of concern and she felt even more confused about their relationship than before. Taking a breath, she uttered the question that had been banging around her mind, slipping in between the voices that refused to go away. You'd think having absorbed your boyfriend's life force, albeit briefly, would give you more insight on your relationship.

"Bobby, can you tell me, right now, if you still feel the same for me before you became…friends with Kitty?"

The question seemed to break something inside Bobby, and he stood up quickly, his concern morphing into anger, for a reason neither knew. "Come on, Marie, that's not fair! You can't put me on the spot like that."

Now Marie stood, his anger catching. "You can't just answer the question, can you? And do you know what is not fair? Seeing your boyfriend sharing a perfectly romantic moment with another girl!" Marie stalked over to the door, and opened it fiercely. "I'll make the decision easy for you, Bobby. I don't want to be with you anymore." With that, she slammed the door behind her and pushed her way through the returning students to get to her room.

* * *

To choose Bobby go to chapter 2, to pick Logan go to chapter 3, to pick John, go to chapter 4. Don't forget to review and let me know who you pick! 


	2. BobbyIceman

Disclaimer: I'm making no money off of this. These characters belong to Marvel Comics, Twenieth Century Fox, and all the geniuses who make thse characters come to life.

* * *

Bobby

Tears streamed down her face before the door was shut, only to find (to her dismay) Jubilee sitting on her bed (didn't she have class?), popping bright pink gum and listening to obscenely loud music while painting her toenails neon blue. She didn't notice Marie's entrance until the distraught girl was already lying on her own bed, facing the wall, smothering her tears in her pillow.

"Rogue, you're back! Did you really take it? Did it hurt? What's it like, you know, being human? Have you-"

"Not now, Jubilee," Marie said thickly, cutting off the stream of incessant questions. Taking a few deep breaths, she calmed her frazzled emotions, as well as her tears. A loud knock made her jump and sit up straight in her bed, glaring at the door. Couldn't Bobby leave her alone for five minutes?

"Rogue, are you there?" Storm's strong voice filtered through the thick door, to the surprise of both girls, as Jubilee turned off her music when she saw Marie jump.

Marie walked to the door, wiping away her tears and smoothing her mussed hair, and opened it swiftly. If Storm noticed her distressed state she didn't comment on it.

"I need to speak with you, in my office, now." Marie though confused, nodded and began to follow the older woman down the now deserted halls when Bobby came running towards him.

"I need to speak with Marie," he said in a rush, pleading the new headmistress with his dazzling eyes that apparently didn't work on the strict woman, who stayed firm. Storm opened her mouth to speak, but Marie beat her to it.

"I'll come back to see you once we're finished," she said to the woman who tried to discourage her from taking the Cure. Marie figured she and Bobby might as well get their conversation finished so she could speak with Storm with a clear head.

"I'm sorry, Bobby, Marie, but this can't wait. Come with me," she said to Marie in a clipped voice, turning on her heel and leaving Marie no choice but to smile at Bobby apologetically and rush off after her.

They entered Storm's office in silence, and the pit in Marie's stomach grew when the older woman sat before her with a stern face.

"Rogue," she began softly, but firmly and the seriousness in her voice stopped Marie from correcting her. "Because of the choice you made, it would be quite…unprecedented to keep you here at the school. There has never been a human within these walls before, voluntarily, that is." Marie shivered at the memory of the soldiers who invaded the school last year. Storm's words were starting to sink in and Marie panicked. They couldn't kick her out, her parents would never let her back into their house. The hate and the fear she saw in their eyes was enough to keep her away from her childhood home forever.

"However," Storm's voice brought Marie back from her dark thoughts. "I spoke to several people, mainly those who know you, some who only know _of_ you. With their input, I have come up with a solution to keep you here. With the Cure, though now unavailable, comes a lot of ethical questions, some which can't be answered by an ethics professor. So, I'd like to make you a counselor. Just like a human high school counselor, you will be available for students to come to when they have questions they can't ask their professor. You'd have regular office hours, but you also should be available for them after those times. Classes start next Monday, a week from now, and I'll give you until then to think about it."

Marie could barely digest all the information Storm piled on her, the proposition of this proportion made her head spin. She also realized her entire future depended on this one decision. She could either accept this giant responsibility, do something progressive for once in her life, or she could turn Storm down and hitchhike…somewhere. She always wanted to go to Europe.

"Like I said, I'll give you time to think about it, but I have some other pressing matters to attend to, and I think you have someone waiting for you." Marie looked up at Storm, who was already halfway across the room, ready to throw Marie out.

Marie walked back to her room, her mind already weighing the options, her teeth gnawing at her lower lip in worry. She barely noticed Bobby standing in front of her door, waiting patiently, until she very nearly ran into him. She looked up at him, feeling no anticipation, good or bad. Whatever the two of them decided, it would be nothing compared to the decision she had only days to consider.

"Is Jubilee still in there? I'd like to talk in private," Bobby said softly, his voice a little rough. Had he been crying? Marie looked at his face carefully, but saw no signs of tears, and rubbed her forehead with her hand wearily.

"She was in there when I left with Storm, but I don't know if she has class or not," Marie spoke as she opened the door, peering in. Sure enough, the room was now void of the electricity-wielding girl, leaving only the stench of nail polish behind her. Marie opened the door wider, and sat down on her own bed, Bobby opting to stand. She didn't know what to say, their fight seemed so unimportant once she thought about everything that had happened to them the past few days, but she couldn't just brush Bobby off.

"Look, Marie, I'm sorry for getting upset, I've just been very confused about…everything, and I havn't been able to think about what has happened, since it all happened so fast," he sat down beside Marie and took her hand, which she didn't fight. "I love you, Marie, and Kitty knows that, but I talked to her, after you left, just to make sure she knew I was never going to betray your trust. I was so scared when you left, and it was then I really understood that I love you, and I don't want you to leave again."

Marie's heart had never beat so fast, her head seemed to spin, in fact, her entire body was reacting the way it had when they first started dating. She never wanted that feeling to go away.

"I love you too, Bobby." He smiled at this, and leaned in for a kiss, and for the first time, she didn't pull away.


	3. LoganWolverine

Disclaimer: I'm making no money off of this. These characters belong to Marvel Comics, Twenieth Century Fox, and all the geniuses who make thse characters come to life.

* * *

Logan

Tears streamed down her face before the door was shut, only to find (to her dismay) Jubilee sitting on her bed, popping bright pink gum and listening to obscenely loud music while painting her toenails neon blue. Grunting in near frustration, she shut the door again and pushed her way outside. A summer breeze hit her face, cooling her angry tears, though in no way stopped their trek down her face. After wandering around the grounds for a while, avoiding the newly built cemetery, she sat down on a bench beneath a line of trees. The irony was not lost on her that this bench was the one that Bobby (though he always denied it) sat beside her on and told her to go home, that she wasn't wanted. No one wanted her now, it seemed, not even Logan. She knew he loved Professor Grey, that he only saw herself as a ward to protect, someone to make him feel less selfish. He would never see her as anything else but a kid.

Marie's dark thoughts occupied her mind so wholly that she didn't hear heavy footsteps approach, and didn't feel the weight shift on the old wooden planks as someone sat down next to her. It wasn't until she heard a familiar gruff voice that she knew anyone was nearby.

"Hey, kid," Logan's voice was lower than usual, as though he had been crying, or perhaps he didn't want to scare her by speaking too loud. Either way, she turned her tear-streaked face towards him and gasped at the sight of him. Whatever happened in the past week, it struck him hard. His face was drawn and pale, his eyes deep set and red-rimmed. He _had_ been crying. She wiped away her own foolish tears, dimly realizing that Professor Grey's death happened just a few days ago, of course he would be upset. Her breakup with Bobby meant nothing compared to his loss.

"What's wrong, Logan?" She didn't bother with greetings. He looked away for a moment and sighed heavily. He looked back at her, and he looked even worse, if that was possible.

"A lot of things happened while you were gone, R-Marie." Even in this obvious emotional stress, he still remembered her correction the night she left. That felt like so long ago, longer than just seven days.

"So I've gathered, but what happened to you?" She scooted closer, trying to get his shifting eyes to focus on her.

He opened his mouth a few times, the words trying to get out, but he seemed reluctant to say anything. Without hesitation, Marie reached over and grabbed his large hand. Logan flinched, momentarily forgetting she was no longer a mutant, then relaxed. He stared at their entwined hands in awe. "Incredible," he breathed.

Marie smiled a little at his reaction, hoping her gesture would help him speak to her. He had always let her tell all her teenage woes and he would listen patiently and without prejudice, and she would do the same for him. Marie opened her mouth to repeat her question, to say that he could tell her anything, but he spoke first.

"I don't know how much you knew about Jean's return and Scott's death, but when we found her at Alkali Lake, she was very different. Long story short, she suffered from a variation of multiple personality disorder. The other personality called itself the Phoenix. That is who killed Scott, the professor, that is who joined Magneto, and that is who I had to kill to keep everyone safe." Marie felt tears well up again, wanting to say she was sorry, but that sounded pathetic in her head after such a confession. Instead of speaking, she just held Logan's hand tightly as he began to cry again. How could one person deal with that all by themselves? Marie scooted even closer, their bodies now pressed against each other, and she ignored the fluttering in her stomach. Logan needed her now, though it was like the blind leading the deaf with her being upset over Bobby.

"We're quite a pair, aren't we?" She said as tried to smile, hoping to lighten the mood, unsure of what else to do. Logan, his tears drying, looked at her questioningly. "Bobby and I broke up today. We had a fight and I just walked out." Logan opened his mouth to apologize, but Marie held up her free hand. "Don't say you're sorry. It was bound to happen." Logan nodded, keeping whatever comments he must have had to himself. The two then felt into a comfortable silence, sitting with their hands clasped for quite some time, maybe even hours, neither was sure, but it wasn't until the sun was near setting that Logan shifted, and Marie lifted her head from his shoulder, which she leaned against some time ago.

"They'll be looking for us," he said roughly, clearing his throat after he spoke. Marie sighed, not wanting to go in, but the practical side of her protested. Marie stretched a little, noting with slight glee that Logan still gripped her hand, as though it was the only thing keeping him here. She liked feeling wanted. They walked slowly towards the mansion, still holding hands, and Marie stared at their feet in step with one another, wondering if that held a deeper meaning. Suddenly, Logan stopped, causing Marie to look up at him questioningly. He had a look of enlightenment on his face and he asked a rather strange question. "Marie, can I kiss you?"

She paused, thinking briefly, yet deeply about how she should answer this question. He asked, so he obviously wanted to, and he respected her feelings enough to do so. That alone made her heat flutter, but something nagged at her that she couldn't ignore if she wanted to answer in the affirmative. "I thought you were in love with Jean," she said softly, noting the look of acceptance that crossed his face.

"I was, but after the first time we thought she died, I realized she never loved me, and it was selfish of me to keep feeling that way. I clung to the hope that she felt the same way too much after she returned, and when I killed her I knew that it was the only thing to do. That helped me grieve in a much better and faster way. You sitting out here with me, being completely supportive of me despite the fact you just ended your two year relationship with Bobby, cemented the thought I've been having for a while now that I have fallen for you."

Marie smiled at this declaration, seeing the truth in his eyes as he spoke. When he mentioned Bobby, she felt no sadness, which she took as an excellent sign, that, and the fact her heartbeat quickened at the mere thought of kissing Logan. Her grin widened as she gave the answer to the question she had been secretly hoping he would ask since they first met.

"Yes, Logan, you may kiss me."


	4. JohnPyro

Disclaimer: I'm making no money off of this. These characters belong to Marvel Comics, Twenieth Century Fox, and all the geniuses who make thse characters come to life.

* * *

John

Marie flung open the door to her room to find it occupied with a certain energy-wielding roommate sitting on a bed, obscenely loud music ruining her eardrums, a pink bubblegum bubble protruding from her mouth, and a bottle of blue nail polish and two newly painted toenails. Sighing in frustration, Marie turned away, wanting nothing more to be left alone so she could think, an impossible task with Jubilee humming tunelessly two feet away.

She began to wander the halls, avoiding eye contact as well as the students themselves, but keeping her ears open for rumours. She heard bits and pieces of conversations, catching key words, though reminding herself that what she heard was pure speculation. Even with that in mind, when she head a young voice squeak about how Pyro was in their hospital wing, his bloody body wasting away after a fight with Iceman, she turned on her heel and grabbed the young boy by the shoulders, scaring him with her intense gaze.

"Who told you that?" She demanded, shaking him a little when he stared in awe at her.

"I..I heard Storm and Iceman talking about it earlier," he whispered before wrenching out of her grip and running away. She stared after him in disbelief. Bobby knew John was there and didn't tell her? _Maybe he didn't, the kid just made it up,_ a voice whispered, but she shook it away, knowing she wouldn't be satisfied until she saw an empty bed in the room downstairs.

Memories assaulted her as she numbly stumbled down the halls and into the elevator. She sighed heavily as memories paraded in front of her closed lids. Joy, fear, bliss, betrayal, all of it flooded through her in the less than thirty second ride down to the lower levels of the mansion. She didn't need this, she couldn't have any more emotional stress this week, or she would literally explode.

Just as she reached the silver circular door leading to the room that may or may not have held a painful past in the form of the mutant formerly known as John Allerdyce, it split open to reveal a troubled Logan. He looked genuinely surprised to see her in front of him, and evident in his voice.

"What are you doing here, kid?" She noticed his nervous glance behind him as the door shut behind him.

She crossed her arms and looked at him with a challenging stare. "I heard that John was here, and I wanted to see if it was true."

Logan leaned against the closed doors and stared at her evenly. He seemed thinner, now, even after seven days. The death of Jean Grey taking a harder toll on him, she knew, than he would like to admit. His eyes seemed to glint a little less, and it seemed that quite literally, a part of him had been taken away. She tried to keep her melancholy thoughts out of her demeanor, but she guessed she failed because his look took on a twist of concern.

"You doing okay, Marie? With, you know, everything?" She smiled a little at Logan's attempt to ask a question without touching the subject, but sighed sadly.

"I broke up with Bobby, but other than that, yeah. Now," she said before Logan could say anything along the lines of an apology or offer a severe beating to her ex-boyfriend's body. "Is John in there or not?" He stared at her for one second longer before answering.

"Yeah, he's in there. Apparently Iceman picked him up after the battle and brought him here. He's fine," he said quickly when he noticed Marie's wide eyes. "We just don't have anywhere to go with him that he won't cause a problem. Or that a problem won't find him." He glanced back at the doors, as though he could see through them to the man inside.

"Can I see him?" Marie asked eagerly. She had questions that he needed to answer, and this would be her only opportunity. "Please, Logan," she whispered when it seemed Logan would tell her no. He pinched the bridge of his nose in a rare calm gesture of frustration, obviously unhappy with himself for the answer he was about to give.

"Fine, but if anyone asks, I didn't tell you that you could. Storm would fry me if she found out I let you in there," he conceded before placing a hand on her shoulder briefly. She grinned gratefully at him before pressing the button that opened the doors and walked in slowly. Logan watched the doors shut behind her and shook his head with confusion before walking away with heavy steps.

Marie wasn't sure what she expected to see when she walked into the room, but seeing John slouching calmly on one of the medical tables, looking quite bored was not what she has prepared herself for. Though his lighter had been taken away, his hands still made the familiar motion of flicking it on and off, the room eerily silent at the absence of the steady clicks. His hands stopped when he looked up and saw Marie standing just inside the doors. He eyed her disdainfully and she realized dimly that he wasn't going to like her here. She had taken the Cure, and was, in his eyes, a betrayer to all mutantkind.

Taking a deep breath, she slid her bare hands into her pockets and sauntered closer, though he made no move to stand or even sit up straight.

"What are you doing here?" He asked sharply, breaking the silence. Marie grimaced at his harsh tone, but answered in as calm a voice as she could muster.

"I heard you a rumour you were here, and I wanted to know if it was true." He rolled his eyes at her excuse and finally sat up straight.

"Why didn't you just ask your boyfriend, he's the one who brought me back to this godforsaken place," he bit out. Marie couldn't keep her anger in any longer, it had surfaced during her fight with Bobby, cooled during the trip down here, and now resurfaced in all its blazing glory.

"I'm glad to see our friendship meant so much to you," she all but shouted, stepping closer, though when she spoke again, her voice dropped to a deadly whisper. "I've been waiting nearly two years to hear why you left us to join an old man with delusions of grandeur"

John jumped from the table, making Marie take an involuntary step back. "Magneto was the only one who saw the power I had! He was the only one who made me feel like myself. Xavier just suppressed who I was, put me in a corner like a child, but when you corner something for too long, it will fight back." His face was mere inches from hers, his brown eyes so bright she swore they were on fire.

"I had you in my head, John, so I think I may know you a little better than the man who nearly killed me. Or had you forgotten?" John seemed to sober at this statement, and sat down again.

"What do you mean I was in your head?" He asked after a long pause, looking up at her in an almost child-like nature. She was amazed at how quickly their tempers flared and cooled. _Not unlike the unpredictability of fire_.

"When I absorbed someone's powers or life-force, I would also absorb their memories, and I could hear their voices in my head. The longer I held onto them, the longer they held on to me. First it was the boy I kissed, I heard him for only a few days. Then Logan after the night….the accident. Then Magneto, when he forced himself on me, then Logan again," John laughed softly at the memory of that week after the fight at Liberty Island. _She sure was hell to live with._ "Then, when you decided to burn up Bobby's yard, I had your voice in my head, I knew your thoughts and your memories."

John shifted uncomfortably at this, feeling vulnerable in the knowledge that someone else knew him, perhaps even better than himself. What was worse was that, when they first met, he had instantly had a crush on her. That memory he hoped she didn't know. But even now, with her a living betrayal of the cause he had killed for, had fought Bobby for, he still wanted to know what it would be like to kiss her.

"You were the one voice I didn't want to leave," she murmured shyly. John looked up at her in shock, unsure how to take that confession. He followed his first instinct: anger.

"What do you think it's like for me, knowing you know things no one should? Why did you say that? What, did you think I'd be impressed?"

"You're such a jerk, you know that? Hearing other people's thoughts, knowing secrets people never want revealed, feeling memories I know nothing about, it was hell for me! I thought I would go crazy, that's why I took the Cure!" John's anger was highly contagious, and they found themselves, once again, inches apart, breathing heavily from their shouting match.

Before he knew what he was doing, John leaned forward and captured Marie's lips in a searing kiss. She returned the kiss greedily, and for several minutes they spent in heated silence exploring each other's mouth.

Marie pulled away first, her lips swollen and red, her face flushed, and a smile plastered on her face. "Wow," she said simply. John just grinned back, and leaned in for another kiss. He found he didn't mind that she had taken the Cure, as it gave them the opportunity to find comfort and peace in one another.


End file.
